The present application relates to the field of power converters. It finds particular application with power converters for radiation systems or other high power applications (e.g., requiring 20 kW or more of power). However, it also finds application with power converters configured to operate with a full load of less than 20 kW.
Radiation systems (e.g., including radiation imaging systems and radiation scanning systems) such as computed tomography (CT) systems, diffraction CT, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems, projection systems, and/or line systems, for example, are utilized to provide information, or images, of interior aspects of an object under examination. Generally, the object is exposed to radiation comprising photons (e.g., such as x-ray photons, gamma ray photons, etc.), and an image(s) is formed based upon the radiation absorbed and/or attenuated by interior aspects of the object, or rather an amount of photons that is able to traverse the object. Typically, highly dense aspects of the object absorb and/or attenuate more radiation than less dense aspects, and thus an aspect having a higher density, such as a bone or metal, for example, may be apparent when surrounded by less dense aspects, such as muscle or clothing.
The energy of the radiation, which affects the ability of the radiation to penetrate and traverse the object, is related to the power supplied to a radiation source of the radiation system. For example, the power required to generate radiation that traverses an infant may be about 15 kW, whereas the power required to generate radiation that traverses an adult may be about 60 kW. Other considerations that may cause power output to the radiation source to vary include, among other things, scan time and/or tube potential. Thus, it may be desirable for power converters of some radiation systems, such as some medical systems, to be able to operate at a wide power range.